Severe weather warning for Maharashtra, heavy rain likely in areas bordering Karnataka

Pune district has been slotted under a ‘yellow’ alert, indicating a chance of severe weather till May 2.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a severe weather alert for Maharashtra over the next four days, with parts of Marathwada, Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha likely to receive heavy showers and hailstorms.

Mumbai, India - October 12, 2020: Hazy weather on Mumbai skyline at Aarey colony in Mumbai, India, on Monday, October 12, 2020. (Photo by Satyabrata Tripathy/Hindustan Times) (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

A spokesperson with IMD’s regional forecasting centre in Mumbai cautioned that thunderstorm activity in interior Maharashtra will likely intensity between May 29 and May 2. “Thunderstorm with lightning, rain and gusty winds,” are to be expected in these regions.

Mumbai and Palghar districts, though expected to remain ‘dry’ as per IMD’s forecast, will continue to see drizzles and cloudy weather till at least May 2, officials said on Wednesday. The rest of the Konkan coast, however, will see rain and thundershowers.

Formation of thunderclouds was observed via satellite imagery on Wednesday evening over interior Maharashtra, including Pune district, which has been slotted under a ‘yellow’ alert -- indicating a chance of severe weather -- till May 2.

Sangli, Latur, Osamanabad, Kohlapur, Solapur districts are expected to receive the highest levels of precipitation and have been placed under ‘orange’ alert, indicating that these areas need to prepare for the possibility of heavy rainfall over the next four days.

Beed district, which abuts Osmanabad, Latur and Solapur, has been placed under ‘orange’ alert for May 2 only, and is under ‘yellow’ alert for all preceding days.

“We have already seen episodes of heavy rain, strong winds of up to 30 kilometres per hour, and hailstorms in parts of the state this week. There is an intensifying low-level wind discontinuity over parts of Central India, which will result in thunderstorms. A north-south trough is also running from Central to south India, which will bring heavy rain to some parts of Maharashtra, particularly those bordering or close to Karnataka,” said a spokesperson with IMD’s regional centre in Pune.